


the nights were mainly made for sayin' things that you can't say tomorrow day

by doin_just_peachy



Category: Free!
Genre: Drinking, Drunk Nanase Haruka, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Unrequited Love, also im sorry yall but literally no feelings will be returned, guess its sadboy hours for rin, haru is a chatty drunk dont @ me, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 17:10:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20839079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doin_just_peachy/pseuds/doin_just_peachy
Summary: Exhausted and dragged out to a crowded bar by his roommate, Rin runs into the last person he expected to see, the one he needed to get over most.But does Haru really mean what he says, or is it just the alcohol running through his veins?





	1. nights with you can be so nice

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry for any mistakes, nobody wanted to beta read for me and I suck ass at editing lol
> 
> enjoy :)

Rin had had a long day, full of unexpected turns. For one, he hadn’t expected Sousuke to bring him out to a crowded bar to “relax”. Sure, it had been a long day, but Rin was looking forward to passing out on the couch with a box of Chinese takeout, not being dragged out by his roommate. Still, at the time, drinking his stress away seemed like the next best thing, and he accepted. 

He also didn’t expect to lose Sousuke into the crowd. When he caught sight of his roommate again, he was surrounded by a crowd of young women, idly making small talk. Not wanting to interfere, Rin slunk away to the bar, where he found himself sipping a drink and half-watching a football game on the tiny bar T.V.

The most unexpected thing to happen, though, came about when Rin heard his name being called in a slurred voice from somewhere across the bar. Being a crowded place as it was, he figured that he must’ve misheard, or there was someone else with the same name. Besides, it didn’t seem to be Sousuke calling him, so Rin turned his attention back to the game.

He heard it called a few more times, the voice seeming to get slightly closer, but it wasn’t until he heard his family name called that he bothered casting a glance.

When he did, he was quite shocked to see a familiar-looking mop of black hair making its way through the crowd. Sure that the dim lighting of the bar, combined with the alcohol in his drink was making him see things, he began to turn around again, but stopped as he heard someone call out from the crowd.

“Rinrin!”

Hearing the childhood nickname, Rin knew he couldn’t kid himself anymore. Turning around on his stool, he made eye contact with a  _ very _ drunk Haruka.

“Nanase,” he said, half greeting, half questioning. “I haven’t seen you here before.”

“I know,” Haru slurred, “Nagisa brought me here!” His enthusiasm seemed uncharacteristic, and what could almost be considered a smile spreading across the swimmer’s deadpanned face.

“Of course he did,” Rin made no attempt to hide the snarky tone of his quip, from the looks of him, Haru wouldn’t remember much of this in the morning. 

Not bothering to think of a response, Haru attempted to take a seat on the stool beside him, but nearly missed the seat. He would’ve fallen to the floor, had the counter not been so close. How he managed to make his way over was a mystery to Rin.

After a few more attempts, Haru managed to sit on the stool, and pull it up close to Rin. Apparently, drunk Haru had no sense of personal space. 

Leaning in far too close, Haru asked, “How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in such a long time, Rinrin.”

Opening his hand, he began to count on his fingers what might’ve been the years since they’d last met, or at least spoken properly. Quickly, Rin cut him off, not having the patience to deal with such a childish action.

“Since we graduated.” He told Haru.

“So how’ve you been?” Haru slurred, and Rin wasn’t quite sure if he  _ knew _ he was repeating himself.

“Fine…” He mumbled in reply, growing slightly red in the face. What was he supposed to say, he wondered, the truth? “I’m overworked and overtired and quite frankly, I STILL haven’t gotten over the fact that I’ve been in love with you ever since we were little kids. One time, you texted me about breaking up with Makoto, and that’s pretty much been the highest point in my love life up to now. My best friend thinks I’m a basket case, and I probably am, which is why he brought me out tonight, but you just had to come along and remind me how not over you I am!” Yeah, like that would go over well.

Rin didn’t catch much of Haru’s response, though he thought it was something along the lines of, “That’s good, Rinrin.” What was with him and that stupid nickname tonight anyways? Just how much time had he been spending with Nagisa?

Speaking of Nagisa, where was the blond now? He needed to get rid of Haru, and there was no way he could send him alone in a taxi, and he was far too drunk to walk home. Figuring that it was worth a shot, he asked Haru, who proved to be absolutely no help at all.

He looked around the bar first, mostly at a now empty table close to where Sousuke was sitting, confusion stricken across his face. Glancing back and forth between the empty table and Rin for a while, Haru looked deep in thought. Finally, he seemed to come to a conclusion.

Looking directly at Rin, he replied monotonously, “He left.”

As if things couldn’t have gotten any worse for Rin, Haru looked him up and down, and continued speaking. “ _ You _ could take me home though, Rin…”

That was all it took before Rin’s face was as red as his hair. He couldn’t  _ really _ mean what his tone was implying, could he? No, he was too drunk to even know what he was saying… 

Leaning in and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, nearly toppling his stool in the process, Haru whispered to Rin, “ _ Please? _ ”

To his own shock, Rin agreed, and quickly they were leaving the bar. Shooting a quick text to Sousuke, he informed his roommate that he was bringing Haru back to their place, and no, not in  _ that _ sense. The boy was too drunk to walk on his own, there was no way he would take advantage of him in such a state.

But still, what other reasons does one have for bringing the person they’re so hung up on back to their place? Rin argued with himself for a while on this, Haru was too drunk to know what he was saying, he  _ obviously _ didn’t want to be with Rin. Then why not bring him back to his own house? For one, Rin didn’t know the address, he told himself, even though he knew full well he could text Makoto or Nagisa if he really needed it. What if Haru had a roommate, though, Rin added. He wouldn’t want to disturb them. Besides, if he was living alone, he’d probably choke on his own vomit in the night with no one to watch him…

Rin was soon distracted from his mental excuse-making, as Haru began to speak.

“Rinrin,” he slurred, smiling softly, “You’re really pretty…”

Rin scoffed, trying to convince himself that he hadn’t heard anything. Of course he hadn’t, why would  _ Haru _ of all people say something like that? There was no way for his feelings to be reciprocated.

He watched as Haru cast a glance around. 

“This isn’t the way to my place,” he mumbled, surprisingly correct despite his state of inebriation. He paused a moment to think, smirking when he made the connection. “Are we going back to your place?”

Rin nodded, trying to hide his blush as he wondered when Haru had gotten so expressive. He figured it must be all the alcohol running through his veins.

His train of thought was soon interrupted quite suddenly, as Haru reached a hand down around his wait, sloppily grabbing his ass.

Face going dark red, Rin brushed his hand away and began walking faster, ushering Haru through the doors of his apartment building and into the elevator, knowing full well that there was no way his companion would make it up the stairs.

He spent the elevator ride trying to reassure himself that it was a mistake. Haru was drunk and wasn’t thinking straight, there’s no way he actually meant anything he was doing. Yet, as more and more time went on, Rin found it getting harder and harder to convince himself that it meant nothing.

They soon arrived at the door of Rin’s apartment, and once he unlocked the door he escorted Haru inside.

Slowly unwrapping Haru’s arms from his waist, he helped him to the couch. Heading to the kitchen to grab a glass of water for them both, he heard Haru call out.

“Are you coming back, Rinrin?”

He supposed it was meant to be seductive, and under  _ any _ other circumstances, he would’ve gladly left the cups and came right back to the living room, but he knew that Haru was far too intoxicated to do anything but rest.

It seemed that Haru knew so as well, because by the time Rin got back with the glasses, he was already passed out on the couch.

Leaving a full glass and some painkillers on the coffee table for Haru, Rin headed to bed himself, slightly nervous for next morning to come.


	2. mornings are the hardest part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Was Rin right to think Haru could never return his affections?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sad morning after chapter? yup
> 
> sadboy rin hours? extra yup

As Rin awoke, head slightly sore, memories of the previous night came rushing back. 

He rushed out to the living room to check on Haru, hoping he hadn’t choked on his own vomit during the night, or any other number of horrible things that he probably would’ve found funny, had it been anyone else. But, as he reached the living room, he saw that the couch was empty, as was the glass of water. The painkillers he had layed out were gone, Haru must’ve taken them before he left.

The reality hadn’t quite hit Rin until that moment. Haru had left. He checked his phone for any messages, but saw none. Did he not even have the decency to text or leave a note?

Feeling dejected, Rin made his way to the kitchen, preferably to make himself a coffee and stew in his gloom. Once he entered the kitchen, he saw Sousuke look up at him with a sympathetic glance.

“He was gone when I got back,” he told Rin. “But, uh, he left a note. You may not like what it says, though.”

Rushing over to grab it quickly, he completely ignored Sousuke’s warning.

As Rin unfolded the square of paper, he couldn’t help but wonder what it said. He was hoping for an invitation to go out another night, or even just a thank you. Maybe, if he allowed himself to get very hopeful, it would be an offer to go back to Haru’s place sometime, in the way he had wanted to, were he not so drunk.

He hadn’t expected what he read, though. Two lines of writing stood out on the center of the folded page.

“Threw up in your toilet. Sorry.”

Crumpling the note up, he left the room, knowing that Sousuke would be giving him a pitiful smile. He deserved it. He was so fucking pathetic, crying over such a stupid thing. He knew it was coming. He should’ve known. How could he let himself get so hopeful? He knew Haru was just drunk and acting out, so why did he ever let himself believe it might be true? To play to the part of himself that’d been in love with Haru since they were kids? To allow himself the fantasy of being loved in a way he didn’t deserve, even just for the night? Just to have it all ripped away by the harsh claws of reality come morning. Of course he was stupid. So fucking stupid.

But he felt the most stupid part of all was that despite everything, despite having it proven to him that Haru could never love him, never want him more than in a purely physical way on a drunken impulse, he knew he still loved Haru, and probably always would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry rinrin i promise youre my favourite


End file.
